Method of producing nitrogen and carbon dioxid from gaseous products of combustion.



M. 11111011311 & H. BRAUN. METHOD OF PRODUGING NITROGEN AND CARBON DIOXID- PROM GASEOUS PRODUUTS 0F 001130111 1011. APPLICATION TILED SEPT.8,1909.

984,605. Patented Feb.21, 1911.

#4722655 es. I I fire/122m. 75/ 7/2 fim 7 1 1460141 14 12m MAX REICHEL Ann Hemmer: BRAUN,

mrnoenn-ensnmscnarr M.

METHOD or PRODUCING nrraoenn nn cannon moxrn FROM or COMBUSTION.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

OFFICE.

OF BERLIN, GERMANY, AS SIGNORS TO B. H., OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911.

Application filed September 8, 1909. Serial No. 516,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Max REIoHnL and HEINRICH BRAUN, citizens of the German Empire, and residents of Berlin, in the King dom of Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Nitrogen and Carbonic Acid from Gaseous Products of Combust-ion,

- the gases is regenerated in a separate process which the said by means of air which is conducted over the said metal, whereby the metal is again transformed into its oxid. Simultaneously, pure nitrogen is obtained from the air, the oxygen of which is bound to the metal. This method has heretofore been modified by performing the said successive steps of the process, to wit the oxidation of the combustible parts of the gases, and the regeneration of the oxid of the metal, in the same apparatus, for which purpose the combustible parts of the gases were oxidized by varying the amount of air supplied to the fuel from gases are generated. By throttling the admission of the secondary air to a greater or less degree, the process can be made to successively have a reducing or oxidizing character, so that oxidation and reduction are successively performed in the same apparatus. Obviously, the process must be performed in such a way, that the metal is never completely transformed into its oxid, because otherwise the oxygen con formed into its metal, because otherwise reducing gases would escape-from the apparatus. In practice, this method has proved objectionable, because by decreasing the air supply, for example to the. fire box of a steam boiler, the heating effect of the gases can not be completely utilized. Therefore, for. the purpose of completely utilizing the heating effect of the fuel, the combustion must beindependent of the process which is carried out in the oxidizing'apparatus.

Now, the object of our'improvements is to provide a method in which the heating effect of the gases can be completely utilized, independently of the requirements of the oxidizing or reducing process. For this purpose, the gases are burned as completely as possible 'in the steam generator or other apparatus, and after their discharge from said generator they are mixed with a suitable amount of reducing gas, or reducing gases, which amounts corresponds to the amount of oxygen contained in the gaseous products of combustion and the reducing gas is conducted over a metal and an oxid of metaL' In this way the combustion within the steam generator shown in the accompanying drawing in whlch a side View of sald apparatus 1s illustrated.

As shown in the drawing, a indicates a steam boiler of ordinary construction. Through a pipe I), the smoke box 0 of the latter is connected with the lower end of a washer d which is filled with lime stone, and which at its upper end is provided with a suitable water supply e. At its upper end the washer is connected with a fan or blower f or the like which is adapted to withdraw the gaseous products of combustion from the smoke chamber c and through the washer d, and to supply the same to a mixing apparatus g and from the latter to the oxidizer la.

.The mixing apparatus 9 has a supply of a gas which has a reducin action, and which will hereafter be termef the reducing current. The said reducing gas mayfor examand the mixture of said gases GASEOUS PRODUCTS filled either with copper,

ple be water gas, generator gas, Dowson gas, 1 The most effective temperature of the re petroleum, etc, which contains combustible gases, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxid and hydrocarbons. In the example shown, the reducing gas issupplied from a generator i, and is forced, by a blower 70, through a washer l' and to the mixing apparatus g, where it is mixed with the gases taken from the smoke box c'of steam boiler a.

As shown, the oxidizing" apparatus consists of two retorts m and a connected with each other at their upper ends by a pipe 0. From the latter a dischz rge pipe p is branched oil through which the oxidizing or reducing process may be observed, as will be explained hereafter. At its bottom the chamber n is connected by a pipe 8 with a suitable condenser 1' for separating the wa-' ter from the mixture of carbonic acid and nitrogen. This condenser comprises essentially a pair of concentric cooling coils t, u which ,by a pair of small pipes '12, w commu- .nicate with pipe 3. The retorts m and 'n can be heated at the beginning of the process, for which purpose they are disposed -within the fines of a fire box g. They are initially copper oxid, or a mixture of both.

In'carr'ying out the process, the gaseous products of combustion containing a certain proportion ofoxygen are supplied from the smokebox c of the boiler a to the mixing apparatus g where they are mixed with a suitable amount of generator gas supplied from the generator '5. Within the retorts m and n the copper combines with the excess of oxy= gen contained within the mixture, and it is thereby transformedinto copper oxid. On the other hand thecopperoxid oxidizes the combustible parts of the mixture into Water and carbonic acid, the copper oxid being transformed into copper, Finally a mixture is discharged from the oxidizing apparatus which contains exclusively nitrogen, carbonic acid, and water in the form .of steam.

At the beginning of the process the retorts after starting the process, the said heating may be stopped, because the heat developed in the retorts is sufficient to carry the process out.

degrees cent igradc. discharged from the carbonic acid,

torts is from 500 to 600 The gaseous mixture retort it consists of nitrogen,

and Water in the form of steam. The latter is removed from the mixture in condenserr, whereupon the carbonic acid and the nitrogen are separated by known methods.

A suitable method for separating the said gases consists in passing the said mixture through absorbing chambers which are filled with coke, and through which 'a solution of potash flows in a direction opposite to that of the gaseous mixture. Thereby the carbonic acid is dissolved, while the nitrogen flows on. By the carbonic acid the carbonate of potassium is transformed into the bicarbonate, which is conveyed to a boiler where it is again transformed into the carbonate, t-he carbonic acid being set free. The regenerated-solution of potash is again supplied to the absorbing chambers.

\Ve claim.

1. The herein described method of pro ducing nitrogen and carbonic acid from or-' dinary products of combustion, which consists in mixing therewith agas having a reducing action, passing the mixture thus produced in contact with hot metal and metal oxid, and separating the-water, the carbonic acid and the nitrogen.

2. The herein described method of producing nitrogen and carbonic acid from ordinary products of combustion, which consists in mixing therewith a gas having a re ducing action, passing the mixture thus produced in contact with hot copper and copper oxid, and separating the water, the carbonic acid and the nitrogen. t In testimony whereof we aflix our signaures.

MAX REICHEL. HEINRICH BRAUN.

Witnesses as to Max Reichel:

HENRY HAsrnR,

WOLDEMAR HAur'r. Witnesses as to Heinrich Braun:

ERNST KATZ, ERNST BLEIscn. 

